William i



No. 614,794. Patented Nov. 22, |893. w. crmwFonn.

. CIRCUIT BREAKER.

(Appliction med Aug. 2a, 1897.) (No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM I. CRAWFORD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF y TO ABRAHAM COOK, OF SAME PLACE.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 614,794, dated November1 22, 1898.

Application led August 23, 1897. Serial No. 649,286. (No model.\

To LLZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM I. CRAWFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have -invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Circuit-Breakers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptiomreferencebeinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The objects of my invention are to produce a circuit-breaker that will be quick and positive in its action, which is readily adjustable in its various parts, and in which the circuit is very suddenly broken, so that the sparking7 is reduced to a minimum.

My invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described,and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I is a side elevation of my improved circuit-breaker. Fig. II is a transverse section taken on line II II, Fig. I. Fig. III is a side view of the screw-seat block removed. Fig. IV is an enlarged section taken on line IV IV, Fig. II. Fig. V is a side View showing my invention applied in a different form.

l represents a suitable base, upon which are mounted the magnet 2 and a standard 3, that suspends the armature 4. The stem 5 of the armature consists of a spring-plate hinged at 6 to the standard.

It is desirable to have the armature so formed and arranged that its vibration may be regulated and changed, and this I accomplish by means of a clamp @that embraces the standard 3, and also a bik 8 and the stem 5, the block being located between the standard and the stem and the parts being bound together by set-screws 9 and 10, and the block being further held to the clamp by a screw 11, that fits in a slot 12 in the block. The end 0f the set-screw l0 is headed into the standard, as shown at IO, Fig. IV, so that the clamp will be held to the standard by the setscrew, even should the block 8 be 'moved away from the standard.

13 represents an adjustingscrew that is threaded in the upper end of the standard and the lower end of which has a headed connection 13 with the block 8. By loosening on the set-screw 10 the clamp 7 may be adj usted up or down by the adj usting-screw 13, and thus the length of the vibrating part of the stem 5 is changed at will to make the movement of the head of the armature slower or faster to suit the class of Work being done. The distance of the armature from the magnet may be changed by adjusting the block S and the set-screw 9. YThe head of the armature is composed of two pieces 4 and 4b, clamped to the lower end of the stem 5 by means of screws 14:. (Shown by dotted lines, Fig. I.) The head can thus be readily renewed when necessary. The head is provided with a projection l5, having a slot 16 to receive the end 17 of a contact-arm I8. The opening or slot 16 is longer than the thickness of the contact-arm, as shown in Fig. I, thus providing for movement of the armature before it has to impart movement to the contact-arm. This permits of the use of the momentum of the armature being utilized t0 move the contactarm, so that the movement of the latter is quick and positive, thus reducing to a minimum the heating and burning of the contactpoint 19 and of the contact-plate 2O due to arcs being formed between these two parts. The amount of movement of the armature before the contact-arm is moved may be regulated by a set-screw 2l.

22 represents an adjustable spring for restoring the contact-arm to its normal position after it has been moved by the armature. The contact-point I9 is formed and a weight 19a is held on the arm by means of a set-screw 23, so that it may be adjusted on the arm to change the point of bearing between the contact-point and theplate 2O when it is desired to do so, and by shifting the weight the arm may be made more or less quick in its action.

In Fig. V, I have shown my invention applied directly to an induction-coil, and I have marked the pants in this figure with the same numerals as designate them in the other iigures.

I claim as my invention-- l. In a circuit-breaker, the combination of an armature, a vertical stem whereby the armature is suspended, a standard to which the stem-of the armature is secured, so as to swing IOO from its upper end, and an adjustable clamp for connecting the stem of the armature to the standard between the head of the armature and the point Where it is secured to the standard, substantially as set forth.

2. In a eireuit-b1eake1,tl1e combination of a standard, an armature, a Clamp 7 for Connecting the stein of the armature to the standard, an adjusting-screw 13 for adjusting the clamp along the standard to Change the length of the Vibrating part of the stem, and an adjustable block S, substantially as set forth.

3. In a Circuit-breaker, the Combination of a standard, an armature, a clamp for conneoting the stem of the armature to the standard, a set-screw I() havin g a headed oon- VILLIAM I. CRAVFORD.

In presence of- E. S. KNIGHT, STANLEY SToNEi-i. 

